Violin



Oct. 7.,"1930. 1 y M. KAVYLQR 1,777,618

` VIOLIN Filed April 22, 19x29 2 Sheets-shunt 1 Patented Oct. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES JOHNII. KAYLOR, 0F CABTERSVILLE, VIRGINIA VIOLIN Application led April 22,

This invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly to a violin.

One object of the invention is to provide a violin having a sound box of an improved construction and which will be firmly braced and retained in shape and to further so form the sound box that it will have a good appearance.

Another object of the invention is to so form the braces which extend transversely through the sound box that they not only act asy braces but also constitute shapers which are engaged with theupper and lower walls of the sound box and cause these wallsgto retain their proper curvature.

Another object of the invention is to so form blocks which are disposed between marginal portions of the upper and lower walls of the sound box that they may not only serve Y as shaping and bracing blocks for the upper and lower walls but also have strips forming marginal walls for the sound box iirmly connected at their ends with the bracing blocks and thereby prevent the strips constituting the marginal walls from working loose from the bracing blocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide the violin with upper and lower walls each of which is formed from a strip of wood normally having flat upper and lower surfaces but cut so as to impart desired longitudinal and transverse curvature to the walls and thereby impart the desired curvature to the walls without it being necessary to steam them.

Another object of the invention is to provide a violin having its'sound box so formed f that it will be very strong and durable and impart a good tone to the violin when played.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Y

Figure r1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the sound box of the improved violin. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the sound box taken at rightangles to Figure 1. y y

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrat 1929. Serial No. 357,258.

ing the manner in which the upper and lower walls of the sound box are formed.

This improved violin has its sound box provided with an upper wall 1 and a lower wall 2, each of which is curved longitudinally and transversely, as shownin Figures 2 and 3. Instead of forming yeach of these walls from a thin strip of wood which is softened by steam and pressed to assume the desired longitudinal and transverse curvature, I form each wall from a strip of wood of such thickness that the wall may be formed by cutting and trimming the strip 'from its upper and lower faces, as shown in Figure 4. Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the side portions of the strip are planed oli', as shown at 3, from the upper face of the strip, and the strip is planed from its under face, as shown at 4. a The strip is similarly planed in longitudinal section and7 therefore, when the planing is completed, a wall will be formed which is of the usual thickness and has the proper curvature longitudinally and transversely.

Atthe-Sametime, the wood will remain in its natural state instead of having been sof- Y tened by steam.

Blocks 5, 6, 7 and 8 are disposed about marginaly portions of the sound box and spaced from each other, as shown in Figure 1. The blocks 5 and 8 are mounted at the front and rear ends of the wall andthe blocks 6 and 7 at opposite `sides thereof `with 4the blocks 6 fixed at the forward end of the waist portion of the sound box and the blocks 7 at the rear end of the waist'portion. The inner ends of the blocks 6 and 7 are grooved'to form seats 9 and 10 and side faces of the blocks 5 and 8 are similarly grooved to form seats 11 and 12 and the block 5 has its outer face grooved,

as shown at '13, to forma seat adapted to receive the inner endL of the neck 14 which rests upon the extended forward end of the lower wall, where it is glued or otherwise firmly secured thereto. These blocks gradually increase in depth toward their inner ends and the blocks 6 and 7 are vcut from opposite sides, as shown in Figure 1, thereby providing these blocks with side extensions or shoulders `V15 at their Outer ends and also forming these blocks with side faces which diverge inwardly.

Strips 16, 17 and 18, which are curved longitudinally, extend between the blocks 5, 6, 7 and 8 with the strips 16 and 18 fitting into the seats 11 and 12 of the blocks 5 and 8 and bearing against the inner faces of the blocks 6 and 7 and side arms projecting therefrom and the strip 17 extending between the blocks 6 and 7 and bearing against theirside faces and side arms, as shown in Figure 1. Since the front ends of the strips 16 are engaged in the grooves or seats 11 and the rear ends of the strips 18 are engaged, in the seats 12, they will be firmly anchored to the blocks 5 and 8 and since the blocks 6 and 7 are wedge shaped, the ends of the strips 16, 17 and 18 which lit against these blocks 6 and 7 and bear against the side arms 15, will be prevented from moving inwardly. Therefore, the strips which form the marginal walls of the violin will be firmly held in place and prevented from slipping out of the position shown in Figure 1. The outer ends of the blocks terminate flush with the upper and lower walls but the strips 16, 17 and 18 are set inwardly. Therefore, when they upper'wall is applied and glued or otherwise firmly secured to the blocks the marginal portions of the two walls and the blocks will project slightly beyond the strips 16. 17 and 18 which form the marginal wall for the sound box and the sound box will have a good.r appearance. ln addition, there will be no danger of these strips being accidentally struck and cracked or loosened from the blocks if the violin is not carefully handled. 1

lBraces or struts 19 and 2O extend between lthe blocks and 7 and these braces have their ends engage/d in the seats 9 and 10, where they are glued or otherwise firmly secured. Each of these braces is formed as shown in Figure 3, and referring to this ligure, it will be seen that each brace is shaped to define heads 21 which are connected by a narrow shank or bar 22. The heads 21 taper toward their outer ends in conformity to the sloping of the upper and lower faces ofthe blocks 6 and 7. Therefore, the upper and lower edge faces ofthe heads 21of the braces will have flat contacting engagementgwith the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the sound box and likelihood of the upper and lower walls becoming warped and losing the desired curvature will be eliminated. After the sound box has been formed the neck lll is applied and the finger board 23 extends in overhanging relation to the sound box in the usual manner. A bridge 24 extends upward- `ily from the waist portion of the sound box to engage the strings 25 and these strings are connected with-a tail piece 26 which extends longitudinally above the sound box and is secured atV its outer end by a looped cord 27 rwhich projects from' the tail piece .and is englued to the lower wall;

beneath the bridge 24C and a vibrating bar 32 extends longitudinally of the upper wallV below the G string. The bar 32 is preferably formed integral with the upper wall.

When assembling the violin, the lower wall is placed upon a work bench and the struts to which the blocks 6 and 7 have been previously glued set in place and clamps applied so that the blocks and heads of the struts will be firmly glued to the lower wall. The blocks 5 and 8 are set in place and clamped until firmly After the blocks and struts have been firmly adhered to the lower wall, the clamps are removed and the strips 16, 17 and 18 set in place so that they will adhere to the lower wall and blocks, after which the upper wall is set in place and the clamps replaced and tightened to firmly hold the upper wall until the glue hardens. rlhe struts and blocks and strips forming the marginal walls will now firmly adhere'to the upper and lower walls and a very strong sound box will be formed as it will be braced transversely by the struts and the strips forming the marginal walls will be prevented from moving inwardly or outwardly and the upper and lower walls will be prevented from warp ing. The sound post 31 is set in place before the upper wall is applied and the neck 14:

per wall is set in place and its finger board extends over the upper wall in the usual manner as shown in Figure 2.

Y A violin formed asset forth above will be of a strong construction and very well bra-ced and not liable to warp.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: v

1. A stringed musical instrument body having front and back walls, blocks between marginal portions of said walls in spaced relation to each other peripherally thereof, strips extending along the marginal portions of said walls between said blocks and forming side walls for said body, the front and back walls being secured to said blocks and strips.

2. A stringed musical instrument body lll) lll)

lli

having front and back walls, blocks between` Y marginal portions of said walls in spaced re-v fbody with their ends engagedV in seats in the inner ends of opposed blocks at the sides of the body.

3. A stringed musical instrument body having front and back walls, blocks between marginal portions of said walls at the ends and in spaced relation to each other at op osite sides of the body, strips extending etween said blocks along marginal portions of said walls to form marginal walls for the body and having their ends engaged with the blocks, the front and back wall being secured to said blocks and strips and struts extending transversely through said body and having their ends engaged with the side blocks.

4. A stringed musical instrument body comprising a sound box having front and back walls, blocks between marginal portions of said walls at the ends and in spaced relation to each other at o posite sides of the body, strips extending between said blocks along marginal portions of said walls to form marginal walls for the body, the end blocks having their sides grooved to form seats receiving the adjacent ends of strips and the side blocks being tapered towards their outer ends and formed with projecting side arms overlapping the outer faces of the ends of the strips, and struts extending transversely through said body and engaged with theside blocks.

5. A stringed musical instrument body having front and back walls, blocks between marginal portions of said walls at the ends andin spaced relation to each other at opposite sides of the body, strips extending between said blocks along marginal portions of said walls to form marginal walls for the body and having their ends en aged with the blocks, said blocks having t eir upper and lower faces converging outwardly, and struts exending transversely through said body and having reduced intermediate portions, the ends of said struts being engaged with the side blocks, the upper and lower faces of the ends of said struts being in the same planes as the upper and lower faces of the side blocks and bearing and supporting the front and back walls of the body to brace the same.

6. A stringed musical instrument body having upper and lower walls, said walls be- 1n thtigckness from one face to form a surface sloping from the intermediate portion of the board towards sides and ends thereof, the board being also reduced in thickness from its other face to form a surface concaved throughout its entire area. y

ln testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

JOHN M. KAYLOR.

each formed from a board reduced in 

